Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-11-03
THE WOOL TRADE.
Col. Switzler'S Facts and Figures
Steady Increase Both i'll Produc-
ton and Imports.
An Interesting Document tor Dealers
in WO0lens and Sheep RaiSers. I'm
ports and Exports in Foreign
Countries Compared.

The printed report os Col Switzler,
chief of the bureau of statistics, on
wool and manufactures of wool, Is now
ready for distribution and is considered
by the bureau TO be one of the most yalu-
able documents il has ever put forth.
The report makes with its appendix a
volume of 500 pages. Its Introductory
pages show the importance of the sheep
and wool industries of the United States,
disclosing the characteristics Of various
kinds of wool, describe the method of i'm
provement by domestic culture and give
history of the development of sheep
raising and wool manufacturing in this
country. Its statistical portions cover
very fully all matters relating TO imports,
exports, duties collected, tariff imposed
by differents acts of congress, prices of
wool in New York, Philadelphia and Bos-
ton during series of years, and other
material necessary TO a determination of
the effect of congressional action upon
prices
The report shows that the number of
sheep in the United States rose from
100000 in 1910 to 51,000,O00 in 1884,
but declined to 100000 in 1887. This
decline occurred notably in Texas and is
attributed TO the great decline in the
price of wool since 1854. Great Britain
being the leading wool market of the
world, has always been, the report says,
the principal market for our purchases of
wool. Turkey and Russia have also been
important sources of supply but the Ar
gentine Republic is now next TO Great
Britain in our source of supply, followed
by Australasia. Our imports of wool rose
from 1,796OOO pounds in 1922 to 1l4,03S,
$50 pounds in 1887.
INCREASE IN IMPORTS.
The increase in wool imports has about
kept pace with the growth of our wool
products, both having about doubled
since 1850. A series of tables illustrates
the increase in products and in importa
tions and the relations between the two;
as for example, from 1864 to 1868 16l,-
000,0 900 pounds were produced and 43,OO0,-
600 imported; from 1874 to 1878, 1885,,
100000 pounds were produced and 49,
100000 imported; from 1882 to 1886, 297,-
100000 were produced and 92,000,O00 inn
ported From 1922 to 1881 the annual
imports of wool iii manufactures aver
hBtu over SJYOcbiOOV III Value, VI lHuIt
than II cents per CAPITA while from 1882
to 1S41, they reached over $14,000000, or
81 cents per capita. The value of our
wooden product of 1850 was $50 100000,
and of our imports $19,000,090, both to-
gether being about S1.95 per capita of
our population. In 1860 $39,000,o00 in
value were produced and $4300o,000 i'm
ported together being about $500 per
capita. In 1870 the product reached
$110,O00,0 900 and the importations $685.,
100000, being 1878 per capita. in 1880
the products had grown to $164, 000,090,
being 1891 per capita.
Thus, while our product of woolens has
increased since 1850 nearly seven fold,
our imports have increased about 81 per
cent. but the consumption per capita
has doubled, which the statistican says
indicates in striking manner the ed-
vancement of wealth and comfort in the
style of living among the people of this
country.
FOREIGN TRADE.
The statistics of i'm ports and exports
of woolens, in the trade of foreign coun-
,r;as % HOW chat Tho Tpitad Kinu1nru 10